The Cherry Blossom That Never Bloomed - Chapter 2 [Kouki's POV]
Title: The Cherry Blossom That Never Bloomed
Chapter: 2/?
Author: atmosphere_zero and misfitmisfit
Genre: Angst, Comedy, Drama, Humor, Romance, Yaoi, AU
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Strong Language, Men Kissing
Band(s): Born, D=OUT, exist+trace, SCREW, ViViD
Pairing(s): KoukixByou, JinxTomo, RenoxMiko, and more to come!
Disclaimer: We own nothing except for the plot, unfortunately...T_T. This is a work of pure fiction and any similarities are pure coincidences. We do not make anything off of this story.
Summary: Had that one flower bloomed, things might have taken a different turn...
Comments: This story has two POV's for every chapter, so please read both parts for the full story. We wouldn't want any of our readers to miss out on anything, ^^
Ch1: Byou's POV || Kouki's POV >>>> Ch2: Byou's POV || Kouki's POV >>>> Ch3: Byou's POV || Kouki's POV
Yes! I successfully created another tasty meal of breakfast. I like my toast almost burnt and with a lot of butter. My eggs are sunny side up and I always have a few slices of juicy sausages. As an athlete coach, I drink whole milk to make sure I have enough protein and calcium. Haha… luckily Byou was still sleeping. I know he would think I’m being a fattie, but no worries. I work out a lot, so I am still somewhat in shape.
Oh right! There was one thing I will never forget - Byou’s berry smoothie. I opened the containers of fresh blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries and poured them into the sifter to wash. Although it is kind of painstaking to pull off the leaves and trim the little white tops of the strawberries, I feel anything for Byou is worth the trouble. As I blended the mixture together, I remembered not to add any artificial sugar. Byou wasn’t much into sweets, but he sure liked this smoothie and only this flavor.
It’s funny how I stumbled upon this particular smoothie combination. I used to freshly squeeze orange juice for him since he was conscious of his health, but I noticed he wouldn’t finish his cup. Later I asked Jin about it, and I found out that Byou liked fruit smoothies. Jin was kind of useless in not knowing which kinds, so I had to experiment. First it was a mango-pineapple one, and Byou barely took a sip of that. Next, it was a citrus and lime sherbet one with a little bit of honey, and although Byou didn’t say anything, I secretly spotted him wince when he took that tiny, tiny sip.
I wish Byou would tell me if he didn’t like those previous smoothies I made, but he never once complained. He always thanked me so politely, and even took several sips in front of me as if he owed me something. I… don’t want to push him for answers, so I always need to be more observant to figure out what his likes and dislikes are. I hope Byou will notice how much I care for him, and eventually feel more comfortable in opening up to me.
I sighed as I poured the smoothie in a glass cup. I placed a small cherry on top and slipped a green paper umbrella on the side. I know Byou thinks I’m being overboard, but I think this adds a nice touch to it. I glanced up at the clock and realized it is almost time to go! Crap! Crap! I hurriedly threw everything into the sink and tried to clean up as fast as I could without spilling everything everywhere.
I noticed Byou out of the corner of my eye, and yes, I was done with the last dish!
“Morning, Byou! How are you feeling?” I rushed over to embrace him tightly.
I couldn’t help but nuzzle my nose against Byou’s neck to take in his scent. It was intoxicating and warming to my heart. A childish grin spread over my face.
“Fine.” He looked incredibly cute in his sleepy state, and even more desirable in his fashionable clothing.
I made small circles on his lower back to see if it would stimulate him to wake up faster.
“Can I kiss you?” I lightly traced his smooth lips.
Normally, he would swat my hands away, but in the mornings, he was usually a late bloomer in waking up. I sound sadistic, but I felt the lethargic Byou was the more natural Byou.
“Don’t you have to go to work soon?” Byou was skillfully avoiding my question.
He was probably staring to wake up now, but I took his answer for a yes and gave him an intimate wake-up kiss. “Are you awake now?”
Byou’s face flushed red and he shyly turned his face away.
“Awwww, you look so cute.” I chuckled as I pulled his face back towards me so I could kiss the tip of his nose.
Byou was starting to push at me to let him go, but I continued to hold him tight against my chest and absorb his familiar scent. Maybe I could delay my morning trip a little and tell my boss there was a major accident on the road.
“Aren’t you going to be late if you don’t go now?” Byou muttered.
I turned my wrist up towards my face, “Oh fineee, I’ll go now. Oh, before I forget, I did make your smoothie this morning. I hope you like it.”
I gave Byou another quick kiss before reluctantly releasing him and running out the door. Luckily I drove fast, well, still within the speed limit, but fast enough to get there on time.
When I dashed into the office, I noticed the last of my coworkers going into the large meeting room. I quickly slipped inside and fortunately found a seat, although it was towards the front.
I was stunned by the amount of bagels, muffins and juice on the conference table. Everyone was murmuring amongst each other and enjoying the morning. No one seemed to notice that I came in late. They were too busy eating and chatting.
Wait… what was this? I don’t remember there being a meeting scheduled for today when I peeked at my planner last night. Oh no! Was I-
“Hello!” A handsome man took a seat next to me.
“Uh, hi.” I politely nodded.
My heart was racing. Who was he? Crap. Crap. Could this be a new student we were recruiting and I hadn’t heard about him yet? What if this was a famous high school athlete other universities had been vying for and it was mentioned on TV this weekend?! Ah man, all weekend I haven’t been able to watch TV because first it was that art gallery and then … wait, what did I do this weekend?
“Hello, I’m Kazuki. I noticed you came in late. You missed my lovely introduction.” Kazuki didn’t seem to mind at all that I was panicking.
Instead he stuck out his hand for a handshake. I wiped my sweaty palms on my windbreaker pants several times before shaking his hand. I still had no idea who he could be.
“Seeing you’re so confused, let me reintroduce myself just for you.” Kazuki laughed with a charming ring. “I’m the new head of the department, and please call me Kazuki. I don’t like the whole Boss title. We’re not in the army.”
“S-s-ure, Bo- Kazuki-san.” I stumbled over my tongue.
Kazuki warmly patted me on the shoulder, “Lighten up. I have so much to learn from you. I heard that you are an all-time star basketball coach. Every one of those kids you coach always goes on to playing professional.”
My face flushed from such high compliments. I didn’t think that highly of myself. I had always been doing it for the kids because I saw many opportunities waiting for them in their bright futures. It sure felt nice to receive such rewarding comments about my work. Unfortunately, my parents didn’t see it the same way.
“Kouki-san! You already have Byou-sama, and now you’re hitting on the new Boss?? I’m telling!” One of my female coworkers called me out.
I freaked and frantically stood up, moving a few paces back from him, “No! No! It’s not like that. No! I- he- I- we-”
“Don’t worry, everyone. I was just bringing the newcomer up to speed with everything.” Kazuki waved it off and winked at me before walking off to talk to other coworkers.
My heart was still beating like crazy, but I was amazed by how smoothly he handled the situation. This new boss seemed really genuine and caring. I wondered if he was with someone. That person would be really lucky.
“Alright, everyone!” Kazuki clapped his hands together and asked everyone to take a seat.
“As you all already know, the sports world is full of difficult competitors, but we will not let that intimidate us!” Kazuki motivated us with his loud, proud voice.
“I have many things on the agenda that I would like to implement this year, and we will all need to work together for this to happen. If at any time, there is something you don’t like, please don’t hesitate to call me, email me, or let me know. Here is all my contact information.”
Kazuki gave a bunch of business cards to one of the coworkers to pass around. I had to hold back my laughter when I saw the chibi Gundam model on it.
“Oh, haha! Please ignore that- that cartoon machine, haha. I, umm, haven’t changed my card since college because a dear friend helped me make those.” Kazuki scratched his head as he cutely laughed.
“Awwww.” Everyone crooned in unison.
“I think it’s a very nice, sentimental card then. You shouldn’t have to change it.” I smiled up at him.
“Thank you very much, Kouki-san. We’re going to be the best of friends by the end of this year!” Kazuki winked at me.
“Oh my god! Nooo! That’s not fair!” The other female coworkers shouted and threw their unfinished bagels at me.
“Ahhh!!!!! Heeeelp!” I ducked for safety under the desk.
Of course, for the rest of the work day, I had to make sure to sit far away from Kazuki and my fellow female coworkers to avoid getting further attacked. But I really liked Kazuki. He was charming, intelligent, and considerate about each and every one of our opinions. The meeting went smooth and to the point. I could see that this year was going to be much better than last year.
After the meeting finished, I hurried to pack up so I could get home early to start cooking for Byou since there was no practice this afternoon. I rushed out of the office and wasn’t looking where I was going because I was fumbling around for the car keys in my bag.
“Oof!” I winced.
I looked up and saw the person stumbling backwards a little. “Geez, I’m so sorry! Are you alright?”
The person nodded and stared at me in the eyes. I froze. W-what was … Kazami… doing here?
“Kou-chan, I’ve been trying to contact you for the past few weeks, but I guess you changed your number.” Kazami tried to laugh off the awkwardness.
I stood there, flabbergasted and unable to utter a single word out of pure shock. Kazami looked the same as before we had broken up. In fact, he still looked incredibly handsome. Ah! What was I saying? I liked Byou. Yes, I loved Byou. Hrm, but it doesn’t really prevent me from looking, does it? Baaaaah, focus, Kouki. Focus.
“W-…w…what are you doing here?” I finally managed to say.
Kazami grinned, “I was surprised myself, but I’ve been promoted as a professor.”
My eyes bugged out. Kazami now worked at my university?
As if Kazami read my mind, “No, silly. I’ve been promoted at another university, but I’ve been invited to visit your Art department to bring and discuss new and existing ideas.”
“Oh.” I simply replied.
My head was whirling. I was really happy to see him again since I thought he never wanted anything to do with me after how my parents rudely treated him. Then again… I wasn’t sure on how I should react towards him. He didn’t seem to mind or care about what had happened in the past. In fact, he acted as if we had just seen each other yesterday. Ahh, what should I do??
“Hey, do you mind if we go grab a bite to catch up with each other?” Kazami offered as I was about to make an excuse about the need to rush home.
“S-sure.” I stuttered.
Oh god… why did I just agree? As we walked to our separate cars and made arrangements to meet at the restaurant, I made sure to set my phone for an hour and a half alarm to remind myself to go home. The extra half hour was for the driving time it took to get there.
The restaurant was a cozy, home-styled place with a few tables and most of the customers were regulars. The environment was certainly a lot less classy than the ones I usually went to with Byou. Those I normally had to dress up a bit. I didn’t realize how I kind of missed these relaxed, laid-back spots.
“Anything to drink?” A waitress greeted us.
“Umm, a ginger ale, please.” I ordered.
“Same.” Kazami smiled at me with his warm, pleasant smile that I hadn’t seen in a long time.
I couldn’t lock eyes with Kazami. This was all happening too fast and it felt extremely weird. I still felt shocked that I would have had the chance to meet Kazami again in such a short time. I saw another couple intimately holding hands across the table while laughing and giggling with each other. I wished Byou and I could do that so openly.
“Kou-chan?” Kazami called my attention back to him.
“Hmm?” I slowly turned back around.
“So … tell me. How’ve you been lately? How are your parents holding up?” Kazami asked so casually, as if we were really dating.
“I… uh… well, you know. Same old, same old.” I shrugged to keep things simple. “And, as for my parents, they’re… same old, same old. You know.”
Kazami nodded, “Are they still nagging on you about being gay?”
I sighed. Hearing that word was almost like a death sentence to me. I didn’t see what was wrong with it since in the city many people were of that sexual orientation, but at home, I was seen as a freak.
“Yeah…” I shifted uncomfortably in my seat.
“Kou-chan… I’m sorry to bring the subject up like this, but I do have a very important question.” Kazami lightly touched my hand.
My heart raced from Kazami’s touch. I had forgotten how rough his hands were from all the drawing and painting he did. They were so different from Byou’s soft hands.
“Well, what is it?” I quickly retracted my hands into my lap.
Kazami seemed hurt by my reaction, but he continued to speak, “Are you together with someone else already?”
I opened my mouth to answer right away, but then I wavered to answer. Would I be rubbing it in Kazami’s face that despite how my parents were … I still found another man in my life? I… what… how should I word it?
Kazami was still waiting upon me for my answer. He seemed very anxious.
I quickly avert my eyes from his stare and quietly answer, “Yes.”
At first Kazami didn’t respond, but after the waitress came by and gave us our drinks, then left us to continue deciding on our meals, he finally spoke.
“I see. Are you happy with him?” Kazami didn’t seem satisfied with my answer.
I couldn’t understand why he was asking so many questions. “Well, of course.”
Kazami stirred his straw in his drink and became a little lost in his thoughts. I was nervous on what was running through his mind. I hoped he wouldn’t ask me that question.
“Does that mean I don’t have a chance with you anymore?” He thought out loud.
Chance? What did he mean by chance? I was already with someone else. Was he trying to get me to cheat on Byou? No way!
“Kou-chan…” Kazami took a deep breath. “I know it was wrong to have left you just because your parents kept harassing me about our relationship, but you have to believe me when I say this. I truly regret that decision every day.”
My ears pounded. Could he really be speaking the truth? Did he honestly regret leaving me? The hurt I had just recovered from was starting to resurface.
“Kazami… I’m starting to have a headache. I should really go.” I made an excuse to leave.
Kazami didn’t push me to stay, and I was both grateful but semi-guilty. Nevertheless, I bid farewell to him and went straight home. As I drove, I kept thinking about Kazami’s last lines.
I truly regret that decision every day.
Why did that one sentence of his bother me so much? Does that mean I still care and have feelings for him? I shook my head to clear my thoughts. I really needed to see Byou again.
I smiled with relief when I saw the guard nod at me and open the gate for me to drive through. The house would still be some ways off since it was hidden deep inside. Oh crap! It was already 8:57PM!!! Gah, I didn’t think I spent that much time with Kazami. Oh god… what was I going to tell Byou? Should I- no, no, I had to stick to the truth.
I stepped on the gas and my tiny car literally lurched forward with the unexpected acceleration. I swerved into the circular driveway, splaying the front of the house with dust and pebbles. The butler immediately opened the front door with a disapproving frown.
My hands trembled with fear as I repeated in my head what I was going to say to Byou, although every repetition sounded completely different from the last one. Geez, how was I going to explain this? My hands were sweating, which wasn’t helping me straightening out all the papers that had flown all over the passenger side since they were sticking to my fingers.
Shit, I really need to calm down. Caalllm down. I breathed in and breathed out, then breathed in and breathed out. I opened the glove box and pulled out a picture we took on our first date at the cherry blossom park. I stroked Byou. What do you think of me, Byou? Would you still love me if I told you about Kazami? I don’t even feel the same when I first met you as when I met Kazami. I-
A series of rapid knocks on my window made me flinch and shove the picture under my shirt. I sighed deeply when I saw it was only the butler.
“Give me a second, damn it!” I shouted back to him.
I’m sure he couldn’t hear me since I didn’t have the window rolled down, but whatever. I kissed Byou on my picture and carefully placed it back in my glove box. Byou, I love you.
I shoved all my other belongings into my work bag, and finally emerged out from the car. I pulled out my cellphone and noticed no missed calls. Had Byou already gone to sleep?
“Sir?” The butler reminded me of his presence.
“Hello! Here!” I shoved all of my belongings into his arms and dashed for the open front door.
I tripped going up the three measly front steps because I lost my footing, but I continued to run despite my skinned knee.
I slid into the living room and didn’t take notice of the new carpet, which I almost slipped on and fell backward onto my head. I could have gotten a freaking concussion! Luckily I leaned forward and pancaked my face. I wonder if my actions only made Byou more suspicious of me.
“Uh, hi, Byou.” I nervously waved.
I pulled myself up onto the sofa to settle next to Byou.
“Where were you?” Byou looked over at me.
I was surprised by his calm tone. Had he just gotten home as well? I noticed he was still staring at those same sketches from the weekend. Was he having trouble deciding on a design?
“Umm, I was … with an old friend… it was very out of the blue. Super unplanned. I swear I didn’t do anything!!” Did I just say it all under one breath?
Damn it. I knew it. Why the hell do I even plan out what to say? I always end up ad-libbing all of it.
“What?” Byou pulled off his reading glasses and stared at me in confusion.
I felt an unnatural rise in temperature within my body. Could Byou tell I was lying? Did Byou already know about Kazami? The guilt was eating me up inside, but the words… the words were lodged in my throat. I swallowed hard and reached for one of Byou’s hands.
My heart started to beat a little more regularly as I held onto his soft hands. I didn’t realize how much I missed Byou. My feelings for Byou seeping back into my heart and hugged my soul.
Now I could tell him what I had originally planned to say, “I’m really sorry I was late. I was catching up on old times with my old friend. He talked on forever, and I kept staring at my watch. I didn’t want to be rude and tell him that I needed to go. You know me… I’m not strong enough to say no to people. Anyway, I haven’t eaten anything. Have you?”
I sensed hesitancy on Byou’s part and my heart fluttered in suspense of what he really thought of my explanation. Was my explanation enough? Or should I tell him it was Kazami, my ex-boyfriend? I really didn’t want to mention Kazami if I didn’t have to because… because… well… it might only complicate the situation. I was already getting so close to Byou… I didn’t want to lose having this chance to start a strong, steady relationship with him.
Byou finally responded, “I was waiting for you.”
I was shocked. He didn’t ask any more questions about it… were things really okay between us now?
“Still thinking about something?” Byou unexpectedly pulled his hand away.
Wait, what? Why? Oh crap! Byou had not eaten yet. I shrugged off the odd feeling chilling my spine, and assumed Byou pulled away as a sign of telling me that he was upset in making him wait so long for my cooking.
I felt extremely guilty. “What? No, no! Let me make something really quick!”
This uncomfortable feeling from when Byou withdrew his hand kept nagging at me. I hurried to the kitchen, filled up a pot with water, and put it on the stove to boil. I sifted through the pantry for a box of angel hair noodles. Those tasted best in a pasta toss. Luckily I had cut up pork into cubes last night. Now I just needed to cut up onions, green peppers, mushrooms and tomatoes.
I whipped out all the ingredients, the cutting board, and the knife. As I mindlessly chopped, I once again thought about Byou’s action. What did it mean? Did he not trust me? How could I make it up to him? I… I did love him. I loved him so much.
Tears were blurring my vision. I blamed it on the onions I was cutting, but my head was also spinning from a rollercoaster of emotions. What was going on with me?
I felt a sharp pain in my finger. “AHHH!”
I sucked on the pain source, and tasted blood. Damn it. I cut my fucking finger. I ran my wound in cold water and forced myself to think straight.
“Kouki? Are you alright?”
I embarrassingly splashed water on my face and quickly ran over to get a paper towel to wipe it dry. I can’t believe Byou saw me in such a mess.
“It’s not ready yet, but I’ll call you when it’s done.” I smiled as big as I could so my eyes would squint into slits.
This way Byou couldn’t confirm that I had been crying. I didn’t hear a response, so I opened my eyes a little and as I suspected, Byou was staring at me like I was a crazy madman.
“I…” I was a loss for words. “Tasty pasta toss tonight?”
“So how was your work day?” I thanked Byou for changing the topic.
My work day… what did I- oh right! I pulled out Kazuki’s card and handed it to Byou.
“I got this from my new boss today. Isn’t it cool?”
I let Byou absorb the contents of the card as I heated the oil in the pan to stir fry everything.
I laughed out loud as Byou continued to stare at it. The card was a bit on the immature side with the mini SD Gundam model on the side of the cartoon-like words in the center. It was something more befitting for attracting the attention of elementary kids, but now that I think about it my boss’ personality kind of matched this fun card.
I know this type of business card was completely different from Byou’s professional one, but I decided to defend my boss, “Well, it might look silly, but he said a good friend of his from a long time ago helped make it for him. I think that gives the card more sentimental value, don’t you think?”
The noodles were ready now. I poured them into the loafer in the sink and rinsed them with cold water. I took the pork cubes out of the fridge and tossed them into the pan, which sizzled with glee.
“Stand back a little, Byou. You might get burnt!” I used my body as a shield to protect Byou from the splashing oil.
He still hadn’t said anything about the card, but maybe it was because I was cooking and I stunk at multi-tasking. Anyway, I mostly likely couldn’t hear him if he had said anything since the overhead fans were whirring.
Mmmm, the pork sure smelled good. I tossed a few more ingredients in. The onions were turning a nice golden brown and lastly I added the pasta. Ahh, another nicely cooked home meal. Besides sports, I think cooking could have been a possible career choice for me.
I wanted to tell Byou the food was done, so he could take a seat outside first. “Byou, I think it’s-”
“What is your boss’ name? What does he look like?” Byou interrupted me.
Oh, right! Bah, I was being stupid again. What meaning could that card have since Byou wasn’t there at the meeting?
I happily explained as I divided our food into the respective plates. “Umm, his name is Kazuki-san. I distinctively remember his red-auburn colored hair, his dazzling smile, and that interesting piercing on his lower lip. It sounds weird when I say this, but he was quite handsome. Ah!! But I don’t have any interest in him like that. I still love you the most!”
Maybe I shouldn’t have said that much, but I couldn’t help it. I didn’t want to hide my feelings from Byou. If anything, I felt he had the right to know everything I was thinking.
Byou looked a little spaced out, so I gave him a warm hug and asked, “How about you? How was work today?”
I wanted to ask if he had finished selecting a sketch, but I didn’t want to give him more pressure than he had already got from work. Also, I saw him earlier still looking through them, so I put my curiosity aside.
“Fine. But my team is still creating some more sketches to discuss about this Friday.” I knew Byou liked his work, but he never seemed thrilled to talk about it.
I didn’t know much about Byou’s work life except that he was working as a jewelry designer for his parent’s company. His team consisted of Rui, Manabu, and Jin, who was my good friend from college. Actually, I met Byou through him, but anyway, all of Byou’s coworkers seemed to be nice people except for maybe Manabu. I always had a difficult time of holding a conversation longer than one word with him.
“Oh crap!” I released Byou and rushed up the stairs into our bedroom.
I had just remembered what I wanted to give Byou since last week. I smiled when I reached into my bag and pulled out the envelope. I felt proud waiting in line at the ticket box office for this because I wanted Byou to have the best seat in the house. This was the championship game, so I felt the complimentary tickets we get as staff members would cheat Byou out of this upcoming game.
“Here. This is for you.” I gently placed it in Byou’s hand.
“What is this?”
“Do you think you can make it?”
“University basketball championship game on Friday.” Byou looked up at me, slightly irritated. “You know, you should give me a week advance notice.”
“But… but…” I failed at coming up with a legitimate excuse.
It was my fault for forgetting to hand it to him last week, so I reminded myself to give it to him this weekend, but I never thought our parents’ meeting would have turned out to be such a fiasco. Now that I think about it, the scenario had actually turned out a little worse than some of the worst-case scenarios I had imagined. Sigh… now I occasionally wondered at night about what my brother was doing. I didn’t forget the cold manner in which he treated me with, but I couldn’t ignore his existence. I still barely believed that was really Reno sometimes.
“Let’s eat!” I scooped up the plates and brought them to the dining table.
None of the maids bothered us while we ate because I insisted I could do these simple chores myself. Byou didn’t particularly object, although I knew the butler didn’t exactly like me. I didn’t care as long as I was able to make Byou happy.
I took a bite of my pasta toss and despite almost burning my tongue, I grinned seeing Byou’s covert happiness as he enjoyed the meal. It was rare to witness Byou genuinely pleased, but every time I got a glimpse of this I wished I could capture it forever. Yet for some reason it was difficult to get Byou to express himself. Sometimes he would budge and reveal his thoughts and feeling, but most of the time I had to wait and watch for a hint.
Regardless, I loved Byou for who he was, and I was sure my love for him would never change.
To my great excitement and simultaneous dread, Friday snuck around the corner faster than I had expected. My students had been practicing hard, and I had been drilling them intensely these past few days, but on Friday I decided to give them a break, so they could save their energy for the game.
I was a nervous wreck that morning. I kept running the plays in my head, making sure our practiced strategies didn’t have any blatant gaps. This game meant a lot to my team, but it was even more important for the university’s ranking.
The game was about to start in another five minutes. Some of team was lightly running around the court to loosen their muscles. Others were stretching at the sidelines. The stress level was extremely high. Our opponents hadn’t made their way onto the court yet, but we tried to not let the anticipation overwhelm us. Or maybe it was just me that was overly nervous.
I peered up at the VIP box wondering if Byou was watching me right now. I wanted to wave at him, but I decided against it in case he hadn’t arrived yet.
The horn blared signaling the game was about to start. The crowd wildly cheered as the other team rushed onto the court. I turned my mind into game mode. We had to win this game.
My team started out well getting the ball first and dribbling it down the court into the other team’s zone, but one of my students failed to catch the pass. The ball was snatched away by the opponents, and my students were having a difficult time stealing it back. The other team was charging fiercely against us, and my poor students were getting crushed into a corner!
I quickly signaled a time out to the referee. My students dragged their heavy feet over to the sidelines, and seemed to resign to defeat already.
“Hey kiddos! What’s with the attitude out there? Where’s your team spirit, everyone?” I gave each of them a cold, power drink and a towel.
“Listen up, kiddos! We knew this team was tough, but what have we been saying all week during practice?”
I anxiously searched their faces for a strong answer.
“We won’t be defeated. We can do it.” The captain of my team sighed.
“What? I can’t hear you!” I shouted at them.
“We won’t be defeated. We can do it.” More of them repeated.
“Again! More spirit!” I hollered.
“WE WON’T BE DEFEATED. WE CAN DO IT!” They all screamed back at me.
“Great! Now get out there and show me your skills with confidence!” I slapped each and every one of them on the back.
For the rest of the game, my students were on top of their game. Although they had a slow start, they quickly picked up the speed. The score was at a draw, but I knew they could pull it off.
“Come on, team! Come on! Come on!” I encouraged them. “Remember the plays!”
My students nodded at me and they put on their warrior caps. I was so proud when they finally pulled our last winning strategy and cornered the other team. It was in overtime, but my team slammed dunked that ball as the championship point!
They did it! They really did it! I was almost crying from relief of the stress, from the unbelievable win, and the great job they did!
“Coach! Coach! We did it! We did it!” They rushed over and huddled together with me.
“One, two, three.” I counted.
“Hip hip hooray!” We all shouted in unison.
Our fans were cheering wildly. Confetti fluttered everywhere in the air. Strings of paper machete were being popped all over the crowd. I had to sit down to steady my shaking legs.
“Congratulations, Kou-chan!” Someone threw their arms around my neck.
For a minute, I thought it was Byou and I grinned, but then I realized that wasn’t Byou’s scent or Byou’s voice. I turned my head around and I popped right out of my seat.
“Kazami?” I rapidly blinked.
“Great job on the court today! What are you going to do to celebrate?” Kazami smiled at me.
“Did you see Byou here?” I immediately asked.
“I did, but he left with someone.” Kazami shrugged.
My head was spinning. Left? He didn’t stay to watch my game? That didn’t sound like Byou at all.
“Wait, what do you mean?! Who?” I blurted.
“I didn’t catch his face, but he had dark red-auburn hair and he seemed overly dressed for a basketball game.” Kazami replied.
My heart skipped a beat. My boss? Kazuki? He was here? Even so… what would he be doing with Byou? Could it be possible that Kazami was just playing me? Fooling me?
But Kazami was genuinely complimenting me and telling me what he saw. No, no, I mustn’t have wild thoughts. It was probably just someone else that Kazami was describing.
I turned my back towards Kazami then pulled the phone in front of me to secretly dial Byou’s number to confirm Kazami’s outrageous statement. The phone rang for a couple of times, and I almost thought of hanging up when suddenly I heard a click.
“Hello?” Byou’s voice rang clear and steady.
“Byou? Where are you?” Damn it, my voice was kind of wavering.
I hoped Byou didn’t notice it, although Kazami curiously looking at me wasn’t helping much.
“I’m… I’m in the bathroom.” Byou sounded kind of hesitant.
I wondered where he was. Could he really have…? No, no, I mustn’t believe what Kazami said.
“Oh, are you alright?” I played my fear off casually.
“I’m fine.” Byou normally replied.
If he said he was fine, why did I still feel kind of worried? Maybe it was just the nerves from the aftermath of such an exciting game.
“Okay, well, I’ll meet up with you outside. It’s a little crazy in here.” I responded back.
I didn’t hear anything, but then again, many fans were still cheering in the stands and the music continued to blare from all corners of the stadium. Perhaps he just didn’t hear me.
I raised my voice, in case he didn’t hear me. “Okay?!”
“Yeah, I’ll meet you outside.” Byou hung up.
“Who was that, Kou-chan?” Kazami asked as I slipped my phone back into my pocket.
“Umm, I’ve got to go. Catch you around later!” I grabbed my bags and ran outside.
Byou, wait for me. I’m coming. I hoped I wouldn’t be too late to catch that “someone” Kazami had described.
When I pushed open the stadium doors, I didn’t see Byou anywhere nearby. Perhaps he was waiting outside one of the other entrances. I ran around to check every single entrance, but there were only more fans and security guards. No Byou. Did he get crushed in the crowd inside? Could it be that Byou was screaming out for help as I was foolishly accusing him of cheating on me?? No, no, I had to think stop going off on wild tangents. Byou said he was coming. I should just stay in one place and wait.
But as the seconds ticked by, I only got more and more anxious.
I was so relieved when Byou finally appeared and asked me, “You weren’t waiting long, were you?”
“Uh… me? No, no, I just got here.” I frantically waved my hands around as I shook my head.
I wanted to give Byou a huge hug and dramatically sob in his arms about how much I missed him, but I had to restrain myself as we were still in the eye of the public.
Strangely, Byou stoically said, “Let’s go home.”
Something definitely felt amiss. Byou barely registered how happy I was to see him again. He seemed lost in his thoughts about something. I had no idea what could have caused Byou to be in this type of a mood. The only times Byou became this way was after we visited his parents because somehow his parents would always get into a fight and start spewing out harsh words at each other.
When we got home, I wanted to cuddle and snuggle with Byou to talk about the game. There was so much I wanted to tell him about my day.
“Did you like the game?” I tried asking at first to get Byou’s attention, but he simply walked away to the kitchen.
“Did you enjoy the view?” That should have elicited some sort of response, but he ignored me and went into the living room.
“Did you see the champion score?” I followed Byou into our bedroom as he emptied his pockets onto the nightstand.
Byou suddenly stopped, “I’m going to take a shower.”
“Oh. Hehe. Go ahead.” I scratched my head.
Why wasn’t Byou responding to any of my questions? Was he upset? Did I do something wrong to offend him and he just wasn’t telling me?
I realized Byou was still staring at me, “Umm… I’ll be waiting for you.”
He gave me a little glare before closing the door behind him. I felt slightly hurt by the silent treatment he was giving me. I wished he would at least say something, even if he just told me he was tired and didn’t want to talk. I would accept that over this torturous cold shoulder.
Only because I had been with Byou for a year, I could tell something was on his mind, but I also knew he wasn’t going to talk about it. Even if I pressed him for an answer, he would just shrug off my questions and concerns.
I sighed as I sat down upon the bed. Today’s championship game actually went really smooth. I was so nervous and anxious throughout the entire game, but in the end, I was so proud of my students. They really stood up to the challenge and showed up their opponents. I smiled as I laid down upon the bed with my hands crossed behind my head.
Unexpectedly, I heard an upbeat, victory tune ringing from Byou’s nightstand. I crawled over and peered at the caller id. It said Gundam K. Since when did Byou start nicknaming the contacts in his phone? His phone stopped showing one missed call, but shortly afterwards Byou’s phone rang again. It was the same caller id. Was it one of Byou’s coworkers?
I was tempted to pick up the phone to take a message for Byou, but I paused midway. I contemplated on whether I would like Byou picking up my phone calls. Byou’s phone continued to ring instead of leaving a voicemail. I kept getting the feeling the call might be urgent, but after working out several scenarios of how Byou might feel about me answer it, I decided against answering it.
I rolled over to the other side of the bed and contemplated more about what could have been brooding on Byou’s mind. I wondered if maybe my berry smoothie this morning wasn’t good enough. Slowly my world turned dim and eventually black.
A sudden poke startled me awake, “What? What?”
I slowly peeled open my eyes and recognized fuzzy Byou. He smelled great. Wait… what time was it?
I looked over at the clock and it was past midnight, “Crap! I fell asleep on the bed?? Damn it… I stink-fied the bed…”
I felt Byou staring at me as if I was mumbling in my sleep, so I quickly blurted, “I’m going to take a quick shower. I’ll be right back!”
Without another thought, I hurried into the bathroom to ease the awkward, tense mood. I let out a breath of relief as I closed the door behind me, but I felt still felt uneasy about Byou’s behavior. I turned toward the mirror and wiped off the fog from Byou’s shower. I stared closely at my reflection.
I looked so normal compared to my new boss. I never judged myself as being overly handsome, but Kazami’s statement about Byou walking off with a red head was bothering me now. I don’t want to say it to sound petty or jealous, but I was starting to feel less than average.
Could it be that Byou was actually sick and tired of me and just didn’t know how to tell me since he was so kind and gentle? I rubbed my face and took a deep breath to calm myself down. Probably I was just making a big deal out of nothing and thinking in all sorts of incorrect directions because I was tired and winding down my nerves from the game.
I took my time to shower and let the warm water soothe my tense muscles. The feeling of being squeaky clean felt amazing. I open the door and expect to see Byou in bed reviewing those same sketches, but the main bedroom lights had already been turned off. Only the night lamp on my side of the bed was turned on.
I walked over to inspect Byou and saw that he had already fallen asleep. I wanted to snuggle and kiss him for a bit tonight, but if he was tired, I respect his decision. After I brushed my teeth, I climbed into bed and slept right behind Byou with my arm wrapped around his waist. I breathed in his wonderful scent, and fell asleep thinking about the day I asked Byou to date me.
A/Ns:
Yay, I've finished another installment of this story, ^^ -- I really took to heart tohru349's words because I want to improve as a better writer. Thank you very much for your comments m(_ _)m. I hope this chapter is an improvement ^^;;;
As always, comments are <3. I love to hear about your opinions =D
Chapter: 2/?
Author: atmosphere_zero and misfitmisfit
Genre: Angst, Comedy, Drama, Humor, Romance, Yaoi, AU
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Strong Language, Men Kissing
Band(s): Born, D=OUT, exist+trace, SCREW, ViViD
Pairing(s): KoukixByou, JinxTomo, RenoxMiko, and more to come!
Disclaimer: We own nothing except for the plot, unfortunately...T_T. This is a work of pure fiction and any similarities are pure coincidences. We do not make anything off of this story.
Summary: Had that one flower bloomed, things might have taken a different turn...
Comments: This story has two POV's for every chapter, so please read both parts for the full story. We wouldn't want any of our readers to miss out on anything, ^^
Ch1: Byou's POV || Kouki's POV >>>> Ch2: Byou's POV || Kouki's POV >>>> Ch3: Byou's POV || Kouki's POV
Yes! I successfully created another tasty meal of breakfast. I like my toast almost burnt and with a lot of butter. My eggs are sunny side up and I always have a few slices of juicy sausages. As an athlete coach, I drink whole milk to make sure I have enough protein and calcium. Haha… luckily Byou was still sleeping. I know he would think I’m being a fattie, but no worries. I work out a lot, so I am still somewhat in shape.
Oh right! There was one thing I will never forget - Byou’s berry smoothie. I opened the containers of fresh blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries and poured them into the sifter to wash. Although it is kind of painstaking to pull off the leaves and trim the little white tops of the strawberries, I feel anything for Byou is worth the trouble. As I blended the mixture together, I remembered not to add any artificial sugar. Byou wasn’t much into sweets, but he sure liked this smoothie and only this flavor.
It’s funny how I stumbled upon this particular smoothie combination. I used to freshly squeeze orange juice for him since he was conscious of his health, but I noticed he wouldn’t finish his cup. Later I asked Jin about it, and I found out that Byou liked fruit smoothies. Jin was kind of useless in not knowing which kinds, so I had to experiment. First it was a mango-pineapple one, and Byou barely took a sip of that. Next, it was a citrus and lime sherbet one with a little bit of honey, and although Byou didn’t say anything, I secretly spotted him wince when he took that tiny, tiny sip.
I wish Byou would tell me if he didn’t like those previous smoothies I made, but he never once complained. He always thanked me so politely, and even took several sips in front of me as if he owed me something. I… don’t want to push him for answers, so I always need to be more observant to figure out what his likes and dislikes are. I hope Byou will notice how much I care for him, and eventually feel more comfortable in opening up to me.
I sighed as I poured the smoothie in a glass cup. I placed a small cherry on top and slipped a green paper umbrella on the side. I know Byou thinks I’m being overboard, but I think this adds a nice touch to it. I glanced up at the clock and realized it is almost time to go! Crap! Crap! I hurriedly threw everything into the sink and tried to clean up as fast as I could without spilling everything everywhere.
I noticed Byou out of the corner of my eye, and yes, I was done with the last dish!
“Morning, Byou! How are you feeling?” I rushed over to embrace him tightly.
I couldn’t help but nuzzle my nose against Byou’s neck to take in his scent. It was intoxicating and warming to my heart. A childish grin spread over my face.
“Fine.” He looked incredibly cute in his sleepy state, and even more desirable in his fashionable clothing.
I made small circles on his lower back to see if it would stimulate him to wake up faster.
“Can I kiss you?” I lightly traced his smooth lips.
Normally, he would swat my hands away, but in the mornings, he was usually a late bloomer in waking up. I sound sadistic, but I felt the lethargic Byou was the more natural Byou.
“Don’t you have to go to work soon?” Byou was skillfully avoiding my question.
He was probably staring to wake up now, but I took his answer for a yes and gave him an intimate wake-up kiss. “Are you awake now?”
Byou’s face flushed red and he shyly turned his face away.
“Awwww, you look so cute.” I chuckled as I pulled his face back towards me so I could kiss the tip of his nose.
Byou was starting to push at me to let him go, but I continued to hold him tight against my chest and absorb his familiar scent. Maybe I could delay my morning trip a little and tell my boss there was a major accident on the road.
“Aren’t you going to be late if you don’t go now?” Byou muttered.
I turned my wrist up towards my face, “Oh fineee, I’ll go now. Oh, before I forget, I did make your smoothie this morning. I hope you like it.”
I gave Byou another quick kiss before reluctantly releasing him and running out the door. Luckily I drove fast, well, still within the speed limit, but fast enough to get there on time.
When I dashed into the office, I noticed the last of my coworkers going into the large meeting room. I quickly slipped inside and fortunately found a seat, although it was towards the front.
I was stunned by the amount of bagels, muffins and juice on the conference table. Everyone was murmuring amongst each other and enjoying the morning. No one seemed to notice that I came in late. They were too busy eating and chatting.
Wait… what was this? I don’t remember there being a meeting scheduled for today when I peeked at my planner last night. Oh no! Was I-
“Hello!” A handsome man took a seat next to me.
“Uh, hi.” I politely nodded.
My heart was racing. Who was he? Crap. Crap. Could this be a new student we were recruiting and I hadn’t heard about him yet? What if this was a famous high school athlete other universities had been vying for and it was mentioned on TV this weekend?! Ah man, all weekend I haven’t been able to watch TV because first it was that art gallery and then … wait, what did I do this weekend?
“Hello, I’m Kazuki. I noticed you came in late. You missed my lovely introduction.” Kazuki didn’t seem to mind at all that I was panicking.
Instead he stuck out his hand for a handshake. I wiped my sweaty palms on my windbreaker pants several times before shaking his hand. I still had no idea who he could be.
“Seeing you’re so confused, let me reintroduce myself just for you.” Kazuki laughed with a charming ring. “I’m the new head of the department, and please call me Kazuki. I don’t like the whole Boss title. We’re not in the army.”
“S-s-ure, Bo- Kazuki-san.” I stumbled over my tongue.
Kazuki warmly patted me on the shoulder, “Lighten up. I have so much to learn from you. I heard that you are an all-time star basketball coach. Every one of those kids you coach always goes on to playing professional.”
My face flushed from such high compliments. I didn’t think that highly of myself. I had always been doing it for the kids because I saw many opportunities waiting for them in their bright futures. It sure felt nice to receive such rewarding comments about my work. Unfortunately, my parents didn’t see it the same way.
“Kouki-san! You already have Byou-sama, and now you’re hitting on the new Boss?? I’m telling!” One of my female coworkers called me out.
I freaked and frantically stood up, moving a few paces back from him, “No! No! It’s not like that. No! I- he- I- we-”
“Don’t worry, everyone. I was just bringing the newcomer up to speed with everything.” Kazuki waved it off and winked at me before walking off to talk to other coworkers.
My heart was still beating like crazy, but I was amazed by how smoothly he handled the situation. This new boss seemed really genuine and caring. I wondered if he was with someone. That person would be really lucky.
“Alright, everyone!” Kazuki clapped his hands together and asked everyone to take a seat.
“As you all already know, the sports world is full of difficult competitors, but we will not let that intimidate us!” Kazuki motivated us with his loud, proud voice.
“I have many things on the agenda that I would like to implement this year, and we will all need to work together for this to happen. If at any time, there is something you don’t like, please don’t hesitate to call me, email me, or let me know. Here is all my contact information.”
Kazuki gave a bunch of business cards to one of the coworkers to pass around. I had to hold back my laughter when I saw the chibi Gundam model on it.
“Oh, haha! Please ignore that- that cartoon machine, haha. I, umm, haven’t changed my card since college because a dear friend helped me make those.” Kazuki scratched his head as he cutely laughed.
“Awwww.” Everyone crooned in unison.
“I think it’s a very nice, sentimental card then. You shouldn’t have to change it.” I smiled up at him.
“Thank you very much, Kouki-san. We’re going to be the best of friends by the end of this year!” Kazuki winked at me.
“Oh my god! Nooo! That’s not fair!” The other female coworkers shouted and threw their unfinished bagels at me.
“Ahhh!!!!! Heeeelp!” I ducked for safety under the desk.
Of course, for the rest of the work day, I had to make sure to sit far away from Kazuki and my fellow female coworkers to avoid getting further attacked. But I really liked Kazuki. He was charming, intelligent, and considerate about each and every one of our opinions. The meeting went smooth and to the point. I could see that this year was going to be much better than last year.
After the meeting finished, I hurried to pack up so I could get home early to start cooking for Byou since there was no practice this afternoon. I rushed out of the office and wasn’t looking where I was going because I was fumbling around for the car keys in my bag.
“Oof!” I winced.
I looked up and saw the person stumbling backwards a little. “Geez, I’m so sorry! Are you alright?”
The person nodded and stared at me in the eyes. I froze. W-what was … Kazami… doing here?
“Kou-chan, I’ve been trying to contact you for the past few weeks, but I guess you changed your number.” Kazami tried to laugh off the awkwardness.
I stood there, flabbergasted and unable to utter a single word out of pure shock. Kazami looked the same as before we had broken up. In fact, he still looked incredibly handsome. Ah! What was I saying? I liked Byou. Yes, I loved Byou. Hrm, but it doesn’t really prevent me from looking, does it? Baaaaah, focus, Kouki. Focus.
“W-…w…what are you doing here?” I finally managed to say.
Kazami grinned, “I was surprised myself, but I’ve been promoted as a professor.”
My eyes bugged out. Kazami now worked at my university?
As if Kazami read my mind, “No, silly. I’ve been promoted at another university, but I’ve been invited to visit your Art department to bring and discuss new and existing ideas.”
“Oh.” I simply replied.
My head was whirling. I was really happy to see him again since I thought he never wanted anything to do with me after how my parents rudely treated him. Then again… I wasn’t sure on how I should react towards him. He didn’t seem to mind or care about what had happened in the past. In fact, he acted as if we had just seen each other yesterday. Ahh, what should I do??
“Hey, do you mind if we go grab a bite to catch up with each other?” Kazami offered as I was about to make an excuse about the need to rush home.
“S-sure.” I stuttered.
Oh god… why did I just agree? As we walked to our separate cars and made arrangements to meet at the restaurant, I made sure to set my phone for an hour and a half alarm to remind myself to go home. The extra half hour was for the driving time it took to get there.
The restaurant was a cozy, home-styled place with a few tables and most of the customers were regulars. The environment was certainly a lot less classy than the ones I usually went to with Byou. Those I normally had to dress up a bit. I didn’t realize how I kind of missed these relaxed, laid-back spots.
“Anything to drink?” A waitress greeted us.
“Umm, a ginger ale, please.” I ordered.
“Same.” Kazami smiled at me with his warm, pleasant smile that I hadn’t seen in a long time.
I couldn’t lock eyes with Kazami. This was all happening too fast and it felt extremely weird. I still felt shocked that I would have had the chance to meet Kazami again in such a short time. I saw another couple intimately holding hands across the table while laughing and giggling with each other. I wished Byou and I could do that so openly.
“Kou-chan?” Kazami called my attention back to him.
“Hmm?” I slowly turned back around.
“So … tell me. How’ve you been lately? How are your parents holding up?” Kazami asked so casually, as if we were really dating.
“I… uh… well, you know. Same old, same old.” I shrugged to keep things simple. “And, as for my parents, they’re… same old, same old. You know.”
Kazami nodded, “Are they still nagging on you about being gay?”
I sighed. Hearing that word was almost like a death sentence to me. I didn’t see what was wrong with it since in the city many people were of that sexual orientation, but at home, I was seen as a freak.
“Yeah…” I shifted uncomfortably in my seat.
“Kou-chan… I’m sorry to bring the subject up like this, but I do have a very important question.” Kazami lightly touched my hand.
My heart raced from Kazami’s touch. I had forgotten how rough his hands were from all the drawing and painting he did. They were so different from Byou’s soft hands.
“Well, what is it?” I quickly retracted my hands into my lap.
Kazami seemed hurt by my reaction, but he continued to speak, “Are you together with someone else already?”
I opened my mouth to answer right away, but then I wavered to answer. Would I be rubbing it in Kazami’s face that despite how my parents were … I still found another man in my life? I… what… how should I word it?
Kazami was still waiting upon me for my answer. He seemed very anxious.
I quickly avert my eyes from his stare and quietly answer, “Yes.”
At first Kazami didn’t respond, but after the waitress came by and gave us our drinks, then left us to continue deciding on our meals, he finally spoke.
“I see. Are you happy with him?” Kazami didn’t seem satisfied with my answer.
I couldn’t understand why he was asking so many questions. “Well, of course.”
Kazami stirred his straw in his drink and became a little lost in his thoughts. I was nervous on what was running through his mind. I hoped he wouldn’t ask me that question.
“Does that mean I don’t have a chance with you anymore?” He thought out loud.
Chance? What did he mean by chance? I was already with someone else. Was he trying to get me to cheat on Byou? No way!
“Kou-chan…” Kazami took a deep breath. “I know it was wrong to have left you just because your parents kept harassing me about our relationship, but you have to believe me when I say this. I truly regret that decision every day.”
My ears pounded. Could he really be speaking the truth? Did he honestly regret leaving me? The hurt I had just recovered from was starting to resurface.
“Kazami… I’m starting to have a headache. I should really go.” I made an excuse to leave.
Kazami didn’t push me to stay, and I was both grateful but semi-guilty. Nevertheless, I bid farewell to him and went straight home. As I drove, I kept thinking about Kazami’s last lines.
I truly regret that decision every day.
Why did that one sentence of his bother me so much? Does that mean I still care and have feelings for him? I shook my head to clear my thoughts. I really needed to see Byou again.
I smiled with relief when I saw the guard nod at me and open the gate for me to drive through. The house would still be some ways off since it was hidden deep inside. Oh crap! It was already 8:57PM!!! Gah, I didn’t think I spent that much time with Kazami. Oh god… what was I going to tell Byou? Should I- no, no, I had to stick to the truth.
I stepped on the gas and my tiny car literally lurched forward with the unexpected acceleration. I swerved into the circular driveway, splaying the front of the house with dust and pebbles. The butler immediately opened the front door with a disapproving frown.
My hands trembled with fear as I repeated in my head what I was going to say to Byou, although every repetition sounded completely different from the last one. Geez, how was I going to explain this? My hands were sweating, which wasn’t helping me straightening out all the papers that had flown all over the passenger side since they were sticking to my fingers.
Shit, I really need to calm down. Caalllm down. I breathed in and breathed out, then breathed in and breathed out. I opened the glove box and pulled out a picture we took on our first date at the cherry blossom park. I stroked Byou. What do you think of me, Byou? Would you still love me if I told you about Kazami? I don’t even feel the same when I first met you as when I met Kazami. I-
A series of rapid knocks on my window made me flinch and shove the picture under my shirt. I sighed deeply when I saw it was only the butler.
“Give me a second, damn it!” I shouted back to him.
I’m sure he couldn’t hear me since I didn’t have the window rolled down, but whatever. I kissed Byou on my picture and carefully placed it back in my glove box. Byou, I love you.
I shoved all my other belongings into my work bag, and finally emerged out from the car. I pulled out my cellphone and noticed no missed calls. Had Byou already gone to sleep?
“Sir?” The butler reminded me of his presence.
“Hello! Here!” I shoved all of my belongings into his arms and dashed for the open front door.
I tripped going up the three measly front steps because I lost my footing, but I continued to run despite my skinned knee.
I slid into the living room and didn’t take notice of the new carpet, which I almost slipped on and fell backward onto my head. I could have gotten a freaking concussion! Luckily I leaned forward and pancaked my face. I wonder if my actions only made Byou more suspicious of me.
“Uh, hi, Byou.” I nervously waved.
I pulled myself up onto the sofa to settle next to Byou.
“Where were you?” Byou looked over at me.
I was surprised by his calm tone. Had he just gotten home as well? I noticed he was still staring at those same sketches from the weekend. Was he having trouble deciding on a design?
“Umm, I was … with an old friend… it was very out of the blue. Super unplanned. I swear I didn’t do anything!!” Did I just say it all under one breath?
Damn it. I knew it. Why the hell do I even plan out what to say? I always end up ad-libbing all of it.
“What?” Byou pulled off his reading glasses and stared at me in confusion.
I felt an unnatural rise in temperature within my body. Could Byou tell I was lying? Did Byou already know about Kazami? The guilt was eating me up inside, but the words… the words were lodged in my throat. I swallowed hard and reached for one of Byou’s hands.
My heart started to beat a little more regularly as I held onto his soft hands. I didn’t realize how much I missed Byou. My feelings for Byou seeping back into my heart and hugged my soul.
Now I could tell him what I had originally planned to say, “I’m really sorry I was late. I was catching up on old times with my old friend. He talked on forever, and I kept staring at my watch. I didn’t want to be rude and tell him that I needed to go. You know me… I’m not strong enough to say no to people. Anyway, I haven’t eaten anything. Have you?”
I sensed hesitancy on Byou’s part and my heart fluttered in suspense of what he really thought of my explanation. Was my explanation enough? Or should I tell him it was Kazami, my ex-boyfriend? I really didn’t want to mention Kazami if I didn’t have to because… because… well… it might only complicate the situation. I was already getting so close to Byou… I didn’t want to lose having this chance to start a strong, steady relationship with him.
Byou finally responded, “I was waiting for you.”
I was shocked. He didn’t ask any more questions about it… were things really okay between us now?
“Still thinking about something?” Byou unexpectedly pulled his hand away.
Wait, what? Why? Oh crap! Byou had not eaten yet. I shrugged off the odd feeling chilling my spine, and assumed Byou pulled away as a sign of telling me that he was upset in making him wait so long for my cooking.
I felt extremely guilty. “What? No, no! Let me make something really quick!”
This uncomfortable feeling from when Byou withdrew his hand kept nagging at me. I hurried to the kitchen, filled up a pot with water, and put it on the stove to boil. I sifted through the pantry for a box of angel hair noodles. Those tasted best in a pasta toss. Luckily I had cut up pork into cubes last night. Now I just needed to cut up onions, green peppers, mushrooms and tomatoes.
I whipped out all the ingredients, the cutting board, and the knife. As I mindlessly chopped, I once again thought about Byou’s action. What did it mean? Did he not trust me? How could I make it up to him? I… I did love him. I loved him so much.
Tears were blurring my vision. I blamed it on the onions I was cutting, but my head was also spinning from a rollercoaster of emotions. What was going on with me?
I felt a sharp pain in my finger. “AHHH!”
I sucked on the pain source, and tasted blood. Damn it. I cut my fucking finger. I ran my wound in cold water and forced myself to think straight.
“Kouki? Are you alright?”
I embarrassingly splashed water on my face and quickly ran over to get a paper towel to wipe it dry. I can’t believe Byou saw me in such a mess.
“It’s not ready yet, but I’ll call you when it’s done.” I smiled as big as I could so my eyes would squint into slits.
This way Byou couldn’t confirm that I had been crying. I didn’t hear a response, so I opened my eyes a little and as I suspected, Byou was staring at me like I was a crazy madman.
“I…” I was a loss for words. “Tasty pasta toss tonight?”
“So how was your work day?” I thanked Byou for changing the topic.
My work day… what did I- oh right! I pulled out Kazuki’s card and handed it to Byou.
“I got this from my new boss today. Isn’t it cool?”
I let Byou absorb the contents of the card as I heated the oil in the pan to stir fry everything.
I laughed out loud as Byou continued to stare at it. The card was a bit on the immature side with the mini SD Gundam model on the side of the cartoon-like words in the center. It was something more befitting for attracting the attention of elementary kids, but now that I think about it my boss’ personality kind of matched this fun card.
I know this type of business card was completely different from Byou’s professional one, but I decided to defend my boss, “Well, it might look silly, but he said a good friend of his from a long time ago helped make it for him. I think that gives the card more sentimental value, don’t you think?”
The noodles were ready now. I poured them into the loafer in the sink and rinsed them with cold water. I took the pork cubes out of the fridge and tossed them into the pan, which sizzled with glee.
“Stand back a little, Byou. You might get burnt!” I used my body as a shield to protect Byou from the splashing oil.
He still hadn’t said anything about the card, but maybe it was because I was cooking and I stunk at multi-tasking. Anyway, I mostly likely couldn’t hear him if he had said anything since the overhead fans were whirring.
Mmmm, the pork sure smelled good. I tossed a few more ingredients in. The onions were turning a nice golden brown and lastly I added the pasta. Ahh, another nicely cooked home meal. Besides sports, I think cooking could have been a possible career choice for me.
I wanted to tell Byou the food was done, so he could take a seat outside first. “Byou, I think it’s-”
“What is your boss’ name? What does he look like?” Byou interrupted me.
Oh, right! Bah, I was being stupid again. What meaning could that card have since Byou wasn’t there at the meeting?
I happily explained as I divided our food into the respective plates. “Umm, his name is Kazuki-san. I distinctively remember his red-auburn colored hair, his dazzling smile, and that interesting piercing on his lower lip. It sounds weird when I say this, but he was quite handsome. Ah!! But I don’t have any interest in him like that. I still love you the most!”
Maybe I shouldn’t have said that much, but I couldn’t help it. I didn’t want to hide my feelings from Byou. If anything, I felt he had the right to know everything I was thinking.
Byou looked a little spaced out, so I gave him a warm hug and asked, “How about you? How was work today?”
I wanted to ask if he had finished selecting a sketch, but I didn’t want to give him more pressure than he had already got from work. Also, I saw him earlier still looking through them, so I put my curiosity aside.
“Fine. But my team is still creating some more sketches to discuss about this Friday.” I knew Byou liked his work, but he never seemed thrilled to talk about it.
I didn’t know much about Byou’s work life except that he was working as a jewelry designer for his parent’s company. His team consisted of Rui, Manabu, and Jin, who was my good friend from college. Actually, I met Byou through him, but anyway, all of Byou’s coworkers seemed to be nice people except for maybe Manabu. I always had a difficult time of holding a conversation longer than one word with him.
“Oh crap!” I released Byou and rushed up the stairs into our bedroom.
I had just remembered what I wanted to give Byou since last week. I smiled when I reached into my bag and pulled out the envelope. I felt proud waiting in line at the ticket box office for this because I wanted Byou to have the best seat in the house. This was the championship game, so I felt the complimentary tickets we get as staff members would cheat Byou out of this upcoming game.
“Here. This is for you.” I gently placed it in Byou’s hand.
“What is this?”
“Do you think you can make it?”
“University basketball championship game on Friday.” Byou looked up at me, slightly irritated. “You know, you should give me a week advance notice.”
“But… but…” I failed at coming up with a legitimate excuse.
It was my fault for forgetting to hand it to him last week, so I reminded myself to give it to him this weekend, but I never thought our parents’ meeting would have turned out to be such a fiasco. Now that I think about it, the scenario had actually turned out a little worse than some of the worst-case scenarios I had imagined. Sigh… now I occasionally wondered at night about what my brother was doing. I didn’t forget the cold manner in which he treated me with, but I couldn’t ignore his existence. I still barely believed that was really Reno sometimes.
“Let’s eat!” I scooped up the plates and brought them to the dining table.
None of the maids bothered us while we ate because I insisted I could do these simple chores myself. Byou didn’t particularly object, although I knew the butler didn’t exactly like me. I didn’t care as long as I was able to make Byou happy.
I took a bite of my pasta toss and despite almost burning my tongue, I grinned seeing Byou’s covert happiness as he enjoyed the meal. It was rare to witness Byou genuinely pleased, but every time I got a glimpse of this I wished I could capture it forever. Yet for some reason it was difficult to get Byou to express himself. Sometimes he would budge and reveal his thoughts and feeling, but most of the time I had to wait and watch for a hint.
Regardless, I loved Byou for who he was, and I was sure my love for him would never change.
To my great excitement and simultaneous dread, Friday snuck around the corner faster than I had expected. My students had been practicing hard, and I had been drilling them intensely these past few days, but on Friday I decided to give them a break, so they could save their energy for the game.
I was a nervous wreck that morning. I kept running the plays in my head, making sure our practiced strategies didn’t have any blatant gaps. This game meant a lot to my team, but it was even more important for the university’s ranking.
The game was about to start in another five minutes. Some of team was lightly running around the court to loosen their muscles. Others were stretching at the sidelines. The stress level was extremely high. Our opponents hadn’t made their way onto the court yet, but we tried to not let the anticipation overwhelm us. Or maybe it was just me that was overly nervous.
I peered up at the VIP box wondering if Byou was watching me right now. I wanted to wave at him, but I decided against it in case he hadn’t arrived yet.
The horn blared signaling the game was about to start. The crowd wildly cheered as the other team rushed onto the court. I turned my mind into game mode. We had to win this game.
My team started out well getting the ball first and dribbling it down the court into the other team’s zone, but one of my students failed to catch the pass. The ball was snatched away by the opponents, and my students were having a difficult time stealing it back. The other team was charging fiercely against us, and my poor students were getting crushed into a corner!
I quickly signaled a time out to the referee. My students dragged their heavy feet over to the sidelines, and seemed to resign to defeat already.
“Hey kiddos! What’s with the attitude out there? Where’s your team spirit, everyone?” I gave each of them a cold, power drink and a towel.
“Listen up, kiddos! We knew this team was tough, but what have we been saying all week during practice?”
I anxiously searched their faces for a strong answer.
“We won’t be defeated. We can do it.” The captain of my team sighed.
“What? I can’t hear you!” I shouted at them.
“We won’t be defeated. We can do it.” More of them repeated.
“Again! More spirit!” I hollered.
“WE WON’T BE DEFEATED. WE CAN DO IT!” They all screamed back at me.
“Great! Now get out there and show me your skills with confidence!” I slapped each and every one of them on the back.
For the rest of the game, my students were on top of their game. Although they had a slow start, they quickly picked up the speed. The score was at a draw, but I knew they could pull it off.
“Come on, team! Come on! Come on!” I encouraged them. “Remember the plays!”
My students nodded at me and they put on their warrior caps. I was so proud when they finally pulled our last winning strategy and cornered the other team. It was in overtime, but my team slammed dunked that ball as the championship point!
They did it! They really did it! I was almost crying from relief of the stress, from the unbelievable win, and the great job they did!
“Coach! Coach! We did it! We did it!” They rushed over and huddled together with me.
“One, two, three.” I counted.
“Hip hip hooray!” We all shouted in unison.
Our fans were cheering wildly. Confetti fluttered everywhere in the air. Strings of paper machete were being popped all over the crowd. I had to sit down to steady my shaking legs.
“Congratulations, Kou-chan!” Someone threw their arms around my neck.
For a minute, I thought it was Byou and I grinned, but then I realized that wasn’t Byou’s scent or Byou’s voice. I turned my head around and I popped right out of my seat.
“Kazami?” I rapidly blinked.
“Great job on the court today! What are you going to do to celebrate?” Kazami smiled at me.
“Did you see Byou here?” I immediately asked.
“I did, but he left with someone.” Kazami shrugged.
My head was spinning. Left? He didn’t stay to watch my game? That didn’t sound like Byou at all.
“Wait, what do you mean?! Who?” I blurted.
“I didn’t catch his face, but he had dark red-auburn hair and he seemed overly dressed for a basketball game.” Kazami replied.
My heart skipped a beat. My boss? Kazuki? He was here? Even so… what would he be doing with Byou? Could it be possible that Kazami was just playing me? Fooling me?
But Kazami was genuinely complimenting me and telling me what he saw. No, no, I mustn’t have wild thoughts. It was probably just someone else that Kazami was describing.
I turned my back towards Kazami then pulled the phone in front of me to secretly dial Byou’s number to confirm Kazami’s outrageous statement. The phone rang for a couple of times, and I almost thought of hanging up when suddenly I heard a click.
“Hello?” Byou’s voice rang clear and steady.
“Byou? Where are you?” Damn it, my voice was kind of wavering.
I hoped Byou didn’t notice it, although Kazami curiously looking at me wasn’t helping much.
“I’m… I’m in the bathroom.” Byou sounded kind of hesitant.
I wondered where he was. Could he really have…? No, no, I mustn’t believe what Kazami said.
“Oh, are you alright?” I played my fear off casually.
“I’m fine.” Byou normally replied.
If he said he was fine, why did I still feel kind of worried? Maybe it was just the nerves from the aftermath of such an exciting game.
“Okay, well, I’ll meet up with you outside. It’s a little crazy in here.” I responded back.
I didn’t hear anything, but then again, many fans were still cheering in the stands and the music continued to blare from all corners of the stadium. Perhaps he just didn’t hear me.
I raised my voice, in case he didn’t hear me. “Okay?!”
“Yeah, I’ll meet you outside.” Byou hung up.
“Who was that, Kou-chan?” Kazami asked as I slipped my phone back into my pocket.
“Umm, I’ve got to go. Catch you around later!” I grabbed my bags and ran outside.
Byou, wait for me. I’m coming. I hoped I wouldn’t be too late to catch that “someone” Kazami had described.
When I pushed open the stadium doors, I didn’t see Byou anywhere nearby. Perhaps he was waiting outside one of the other entrances. I ran around to check every single entrance, but there were only more fans and security guards. No Byou. Did he get crushed in the crowd inside? Could it be that Byou was screaming out for help as I was foolishly accusing him of cheating on me?? No, no, I had to think stop going off on wild tangents. Byou said he was coming. I should just stay in one place and wait.
But as the seconds ticked by, I only got more and more anxious.
I was so relieved when Byou finally appeared and asked me, “You weren’t waiting long, were you?”
“Uh… me? No, no, I just got here.” I frantically waved my hands around as I shook my head.
I wanted to give Byou a huge hug and dramatically sob in his arms about how much I missed him, but I had to restrain myself as we were still in the eye of the public.
Strangely, Byou stoically said, “Let’s go home.”
Something definitely felt amiss. Byou barely registered how happy I was to see him again. He seemed lost in his thoughts about something. I had no idea what could have caused Byou to be in this type of a mood. The only times Byou became this way was after we visited his parents because somehow his parents would always get into a fight and start spewing out harsh words at each other.
When we got home, I wanted to cuddle and snuggle with Byou to talk about the game. There was so much I wanted to tell him about my day.
“Did you like the game?” I tried asking at first to get Byou’s attention, but he simply walked away to the kitchen.
“Did you enjoy the view?” That should have elicited some sort of response, but he ignored me and went into the living room.
“Did you see the champion score?” I followed Byou into our bedroom as he emptied his pockets onto the nightstand.
Byou suddenly stopped, “I’m going to take a shower.”
“Oh. Hehe. Go ahead.” I scratched my head.
Why wasn’t Byou responding to any of my questions? Was he upset? Did I do something wrong to offend him and he just wasn’t telling me?
I realized Byou was still staring at me, “Umm… I’ll be waiting for you.”
He gave me a little glare before closing the door behind him. I felt slightly hurt by the silent treatment he was giving me. I wished he would at least say something, even if he just told me he was tired and didn’t want to talk. I would accept that over this torturous cold shoulder.
Only because I had been with Byou for a year, I could tell something was on his mind, but I also knew he wasn’t going to talk about it. Even if I pressed him for an answer, he would just shrug off my questions and concerns.
I sighed as I sat down upon the bed. Today’s championship game actually went really smooth. I was so nervous and anxious throughout the entire game, but in the end, I was so proud of my students. They really stood up to the challenge and showed up their opponents. I smiled as I laid down upon the bed with my hands crossed behind my head.
Unexpectedly, I heard an upbeat, victory tune ringing from Byou’s nightstand. I crawled over and peered at the caller id. It said Gundam K. Since when did Byou start nicknaming the contacts in his phone? His phone stopped showing one missed call, but shortly afterwards Byou’s phone rang again. It was the same caller id. Was it one of Byou’s coworkers?
I was tempted to pick up the phone to take a message for Byou, but I paused midway. I contemplated on whether I would like Byou picking up my phone calls. Byou’s phone continued to ring instead of leaving a voicemail. I kept getting the feeling the call might be urgent, but after working out several scenarios of how Byou might feel about me answer it, I decided against answering it.
I rolled over to the other side of the bed and contemplated more about what could have been brooding on Byou’s mind. I wondered if maybe my berry smoothie this morning wasn’t good enough. Slowly my world turned dim and eventually black.
A sudden poke startled me awake, “What? What?”
I slowly peeled open my eyes and recognized fuzzy Byou. He smelled great. Wait… what time was it?
I looked over at the clock and it was past midnight, “Crap! I fell asleep on the bed?? Damn it… I stink-fied the bed…”
I felt Byou staring at me as if I was mumbling in my sleep, so I quickly blurted, “I’m going to take a quick shower. I’ll be right back!”
Without another thought, I hurried into the bathroom to ease the awkward, tense mood. I let out a breath of relief as I closed the door behind me, but I felt still felt uneasy about Byou’s behavior. I turned toward the mirror and wiped off the fog from Byou’s shower. I stared closely at my reflection.
I looked so normal compared to my new boss. I never judged myself as being overly handsome, but Kazami’s statement about Byou walking off with a red head was bothering me now. I don’t want to say it to sound petty or jealous, but I was starting to feel less than average.
Could it be that Byou was actually sick and tired of me and just didn’t know how to tell me since he was so kind and gentle? I rubbed my face and took a deep breath to calm myself down. Probably I was just making a big deal out of nothing and thinking in all sorts of incorrect directions because I was tired and winding down my nerves from the game.
I took my time to shower and let the warm water soothe my tense muscles. The feeling of being squeaky clean felt amazing. I open the door and expect to see Byou in bed reviewing those same sketches, but the main bedroom lights had already been turned off. Only the night lamp on my side of the bed was turned on.
I walked over to inspect Byou and saw that he had already fallen asleep. I wanted to snuggle and kiss him for a bit tonight, but if he was tired, I respect his decision. After I brushed my teeth, I climbed into bed and slept right behind Byou with my arm wrapped around his waist. I breathed in his wonderful scent, and fell asleep thinking about the day I asked Byou to date me.
A/Ns:
Yay, I've finished another installment of this story, ^^ -- I really took to heart tohru349's words because I want to improve as a better writer. Thank you very much for your comments m(_ _)m. I hope this chapter is an improvement ^^;;;
As always, comments are <3. I love to hear about your opinions =D